Can I claim DLA?

Sorry to hear of your illness have you rang DWP they can help you I always ask if I need any new information

Best wishes

Be aware that DLA is now changing to PIP. Your local Citizens Advice Bureau should put you in the right direction

Sarah

Hi, I am sorry to hear about your recent diagnosis, I have just been claiming SSP from work and they asked me in for a meeting where they gave me an ultimatum, basically they couldn't carry my sickness absence and wanted me to leave due to my health deteriorating, it's hard to admit to yourself when you have always worked, but my advice is to think of yourself and your health, work actually don't think of you as a person you are just another

statistic that isn't being productive. In relation to DLA this is no longer in use for new claimants you have to apply for PIP. What you need to consider is how your illnesses have changed how you go about your daily life and how much extra support you need as you are unable to do things for yourself like you have been used to. If you think your whole lifestyle has changed then apply for it. The webpage on the Government website gives you lots of information about the process. The first thing us to collate your medication, your diagnosis, your consultants and GP's name address and phone number plus your national insurance number. As when you initially ring they ask you several questions to see if they think you are eligible then they send out a form for you to complete. This is the part where you need some evidence of how daily tasks effect you, it's also a good idea to request any reports from any medical professionals reports you have that you can enclose with the application form when you return it. Also think of examples that you have encountered that you can put in the form in each section, be careful that you don't contradict yourself in each othe sections, you will find you could be repeating yourself but this doesn't matter as for me some of the sections were almost the same for me, so when they ask you about washing and bathing, I put I am unable to get in the bath anymore due to severe pain. Then in the section going out I also put I don't go out due to severe pain when walking, if I had put I go out and walk and can walk a certain distance and can manage shopping by holding on the trolley, then you would be contradicting about your ability to do one thing but can't do the other, therefore you need to be careful what you write. Anything you send back, always take a copy as I've had a few go missing! Then you wait and wait and wait! Then you have a healthcare professional appointment for you to attend or if you have issues with mobility then you can request a home visit. They discuss with you what you have written on the form and question you further or ask for more detail. Some ask you to do certain tasks for example they asked me to get up and walk so she could see how I was effected. My sister in law was asked to raise her leg when she was lying on a bed, in the report that came back the health professional said she didn't try hard enough to raise her leg. Luckily for her she had an X-ray of her hip after this assessment, the consultant told her she had a hip of a 80-90 year old and he didn't know how she was even walking with the aid of her stick. I supported my sister in law at a tribunal where the decision was overturned and she was awarded the PIP eventually. Then you wait and wait and wait, and ring and ring ring for updates. My first attempt took over 9 months before I finally had a decision, but I was back paid from the date I rang initially. Then after two months I was putting in for it again as they only gave me the award for 18 months, I have just had a positive decision again but it took over 8 months to get this even though my conditions had worsened and I had lots of evidence to back this up. My advice is don't give up, keep trying and keep copies of everything, every time you ring make a record ofthe date and time and take the advisors name, so when you call again you can refer back to the date and what you were told.

good luck with your application, I've seen in one of the replies to go to citizen advise, I believe they are very good and can help and advise you how to word the information they require on the form.